Numbers
by Digitaldreamer
Summary: It was all quite simple when he narrowed it down to basic numbers, and when it came down to it, that was all that that Luke's life was. It all made perfect sense, what Jade knew had to be done. And yet he didn't want to. [Spoilers for the Tower of Rem]


**-Numbers-**

**A Tales of the Abyss Drabble by Digitaldreamer**

**---**

**WARNING: Spoilers be ahead! Fairly ye be warned!****  
**_  
So yesterday I definitely played through the whole Tower of Rem thing and the issues involving that and all the drama and just...wow. That had to be the most heartwrenching thing in the game. Heartwrenching and really depressingly beautiful._

_I just...yeah. The relationships between the characters, their emotions, everything...and when I paused to make dinner, all I could imagine is what must've been running through everyone's head. The first and strangely easiest, as well as most compelling was Jade...and it was just too good to pass up. This has probably been done before and I'm not sure if it's IC or not, but oh well. Also, it's not yaoi, sorry guys._

_I might consider doing this for all the other characters as well...if anything, I'll probably at least do Guy._

_Anyway, onward, I suppose._

**Disclaimer: I don't own ToA. Seriously, it'd be a lot gayer otherwise.**

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_  
Three days to fly from Daath to the Tower of Rem.

One messenger standing outside the cathedral door, reporting.

Twelve hours spent in conference, the expressions of the three world leaders grim.

Two doors to pass through, heavy to the point of being impractical.

Nine participants to this frantic scrabble over what to do.

Just a number of words to pass from his lips, and the die that had been cast so long ago at Belkend finally landed, revealing all sides had ended the same from the beginning.

Just a few words, and the death sentence had already been set.

Five shocked glances from his companions.

Four shouts of outrage.

One set of trusting green eyes.

Months spent traveling, thousands of battles, the world's salvation just within their grasp only to be torn away yet again...and here they were.

When he had off-handedly told Luke his theory on how to destroy the miasma through hyperresonance, Jade had been well aware of the thoughts running through the boys head, and he had been well aware that the remark was not-so-off-handed. At the time, he had tried not to consider it as anything more than a nuisance, as the days ticked by and Luke's expression grew more troubled.

And yet...here they now stood. The world was on the verge of collapse, the people were sick and dying, the results of his meddlesome need to create ran amuck with no purpose...and as the situation grew more and more dire, it had become clear that there was no other option.

Luke would have to die.

There was no doubt in Jade's mind. That boy would have to die.

It was simple enough when he looked at it rationally. After all, they were discussing the fate of the entire planet here. One life in exchange for billions? There was no contest. The fact that they had another who could still carry on the remaining duty made it all that simpler. Adding the ten thousand replicas to the death toll? Still nothing, and on a harsher note, it would help to fix the overcrowding issue.

It was a simple enough equation when he looked at it as nothing more than numbers. It was a simple enough equation, one that he had run through his mind over and over again, and one that always ended with the same clean, perfect answer.

A hyperresonance powerful enough to destroy an entire planet's worth of filth.

Ten thousand replica sacrifices.

One sword, composed of nothing but seventh fonons.

One boy...a replica as well, nothing more.

It was simple. Just numbers.

Numbers could not bring Luke's smile into the equation. Numbers could not translate that laugh. Numbers could not show the way that nose wrinkled with indignation as the boy realized he was being teased yet again. Numbers could not express the way those eyes stared up at Jade, trusting, always trusting, looking up to him as a mentor even after he had calmly stated he did not teach.

Numbers could not express that. And it was the inexpressible that clouded that clean result, that left Jade wide awake after the rest of his companions had long since fallen asleep, crimson eyes staring blankly at that messy red head nestled between the sheets. He thought and thought, searching for something, _anything_, that could perhaps ensure that stupid boy would be waking up sleepy eyed with his hair so frustratingly and annoyingly tossled for years and years to come.

The numbers made it clear. There was no other way.

His ridiculous attachment to the boy did not work into numbers. His foolish wish to see that boy continue onward, to stumble and lean on others when he needed to only so he could go forward to trip again, looking like an idiot the entire time...that didn't compute.

It was foolish...and yet Jade could not say it. The words could not come.

And so he waited. Jade thought, he hoped, he nearly _prayed_...and nothing came.

Finally, there was no more waiting to be done. The arguments were flying around them all in a whirlwind, always zipping by and narrowly missing but never truly hitting what, in a way, everyone knew. And so, Jade opened his mouth...and wished.

Wished when he spoke, there would be something else. That instead of placing that grim, determined expression that only just barely held back fear on Luke's face, his explanation would lead to one of comic confusion that failed to remain hidden even after Jade had finished and the boy had leaned over to Guy to ask what the hell the Colonel had just said.

He wished.

Wishful thinking had no place here. There were only numbers.

A hyperresonance to destroy billions of cubic meters of miasma.

Ten thousand replica sacrifices.

One sword.

One boy who could not keep the hurt from his eyes even as the weight of the world settled upon his shoulders.

Just numbers.

If only it were that simple.

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**-End-**

_Reviews are greatly appreciated! I'm considering doing one like this for every character...we'll see how things go._


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